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(No Model.) v r E. A. COOPER. FASTBNINGDEVICE POR WIRE FENGES.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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EDWARD A. COOPER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-FOURTH TOFRANK- SIBLEY,

FASTENING DEVICE OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,911, dated June 3,1884.

Application filed February 13, 1F84. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD A. COOPER, of Buffalo, Vin the count-y ofVErie and. State of New York, have invented new and useful Iniprovementsin Fastening Devices for Vire Fences, of which the following is aspecificarIhis invention relates to, an improvement in the deviceswhereby the'ends of fence-wires are detachably connected between theposts in such manner that the fastening can be readily released and theends of the wires disconnectedwhen it is desired to obtain access to theeld or land inclosed by the wire fence, thereby avoiding the employmentof gates or stiles for this purpose. v

The object of my invention is to produce a fastening device of thischaracter which will be firmly held in place by the strain or tension ofthe wire.

My invention consists, to that end, of the improvenients in theconstruction of the fastening which will be hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed o ut in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevation of a section of awire fence provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is alongitudinalsection on an enlarged scale of the" fastening device. Fig. 3 is a topplan view, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation, of the fastening device..

Like letters denote like parts in the several iigures.

A represents the posts, and a the wires secured to the posts. The endsof the wires c are detachably connected between the posts by clamps C,each of which consists of two jaws, O O2, to which the ends of one lineof wire is attached. The jaws C C2 are attached together by a pivot, c,which is arranged on one side of both jaws, so that the strain appliedto the jaws will tend to hold the jaws closed or in contact with eachother. The jaw O is provided near its end with an opening, d, in whichone end of the wire is secured. The jaw C2 is provided on its inner sidewith a series of recesses or notches, e, in which engages an elongatedloopV or bail, E. The other end of the wire is secured in an opening, f,formed in the outer end of the bail 5o E. Upon opening the jaws O O2, asrepresented in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the bail Ecan be detached fromthe jaw G2, thereby disconnecting the two ends of the wire. As each lineof wire is provided with a clamp, O, the fence is opened upon releasingall the clamps between two posts, leaving the space between two postsunobstructed, and providing a passage-way through the opening so formedinthe fence. By engaging the bails E with their 6o corresponding jaws,O2, and closing the jaws of the several clamps, the ends of the wiresare connected and the fence is closed. The series of notches c permitthe bail E to be placed nearer to or farther from the pivot c of thejaws, whereby the strain on the wires can be regulated. Vhen the jawsare closed, as represented in Fig. 2, the pivot c is located on one sideof the wire and outside of both jaws, whereby the tension of the wire iscaused to 7o hold the jaws rmly closed, thereby preventing theaccidental opening of the jaws.

The clamps C are readily constructed of malleable iron or othersuitablemetal, thereby producing a cheap and durable fastening, which can beapplied in any desired place on the fence.

I claim as my invention- A clamp composed of a jaw, O', adapted to besecured to one end of the wire, a jaw, O2, 8o pivoted to the jaw C', andprovided on its inner side with a series of notches, e, and a bail, E,adapted to be engaged in said notches, and to be secured to the otherend of the wire, the parts being combined substantially as set 8 5forth.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this Sth day ofFebruary, 1884.

i EDWARD A. COOPER.

In presence of EDWARD WILHELM, wf F. L. BRowNE.

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